Textile washing apparatus



May 26, 1970 H. R. WILCOX 3,513,671

TEXTILE WASHING APPARATUS Filed Sept, 27. 1967 INVENTOR.

HAROLD R. WILCOX BY ATTORNEYS United States Patent O Int. Cl. noer 15/00 us. or. 68-99 5 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An apparatus is provided for the eflicient washing of running textile webs at high speed. In a tank filled with a .washingliquid there is mounted for rotation a relatively large drum the outer cylindrical surface of which is formed with longitudinal corrugations. Mounted tan'-' 'gentially to the drum are relatively small planetary reels each carrying an array of evenly spaced smaller nip rolls adapted to mesh with the corrugations on the larger drum. The fabric web is fed into the tank around the drum and then out of the tank. As the corrugated drum rotates along with the planetary reels the nip rolls force the fabric into the corrugation squeezing .the liquid through the fabric thus providing improved contact and washing action 'between the fabric and the liquid.

BACKGROUND OF THE- INVENTION Field of the invention Description of the priorart g At certain stages in the manufacture of textile webs it is desirable that the fabric "undergo 'a thorough washing In the illustrated embodiment two pairs of planetary reels with a liquid, to remove excess dye-,for example, or other solutions from the fabric. Because liquid which is picked up and carried by a fabric has a certain amount of weight and surfacev tension it tends to remain in the fabric and it is a diflicult matter to obtain a thorough SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention features a textile washing apparatus comprising a relatively large cylindrical drum rotatably mounted within a tank containing a quantity of washing liquid. The outer cylindrical surface of the drum is formed with longitudinal corrugations and mounted in parallel substantially tangential relation to the outer surface of the drum are smaller planetary reels each carrying an array of parallel nip rollers evenly spaced about their outer peripheries. Upon rotation of the drum and the planetary reels the nip rollers mesh with the corrugations of the drum about which the web is carried. The action is such that washing liquid is forced through the fabric insuring an intimate and thorough action between the liquid and the fabric. I

- BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 1 FIG. 1 is a sectional view in side elevation of a textile washing apparatus made according to the invention, and

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view of FIG. 1 on an enlarged scale to show details of construction.

1 DESCRIPTION OF THE- PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 'In the drawings the reference character 10 generally indicates a tank substantially filled with a washing liquid 12 which may be water or any type of liquid which is to treat a running fabric web 14 passing therethrough. The web 14 is carried over idler roll 16 down into the tank, under roller 18 and then upwardly over roller 20 where his fed onto a relatively large drum 22 rotatably mounted in the tank 10 and the major portion of which is below the level of the liquid 12. The drum 22 is hollow and its outer. cylindrical surface is characterized by a series of evenly spaced, parallel, longitudinal corrugations 24. The corrugations are rounded so that no sharp edges are presented to the fabric 14. The corrugated drum surface may be imperforate or at the innermost portion of each corrugation perforations 26 may be formed for reasons that will presently appear.

Disposed about the outer surface of the drum 22 in parallel pairs are reels 28, each reel being rotatably mounted in generally tangentially relation to the drum 22 extending parallel thereto. Each reel is substantially co-extensive with the length of the drum and carries an array of evenly spaced elongated abutments preferably in the form of nipping rollers 30 about its outer periphery. Each nip roller 30, which is relatively small in relation to the reel 28 and to thedrum 22, is of a diameter selected to conform generally with the radius of curvature of the corrugations of the drum so that the rollers 30 will mesh with the corrugations as the drum and reels rotate.

28 are.provided, one pair on either side of the drum and all driven by a common drive belt or chain 32 which also drives the drum 22.

'In FIG. 2 is will be seen that each of the nip rollers is mounted for rotation in one direction only to prevent the fabric from slipping between the drum and the roller as they are rotated. In the illustrated embodiment a pawl 34 andan annular rachet 36 are employed to permit rotation in a clockwise directiononly. Other means inay obviously be employed. While two pairs of planetary reels are provided, one on either side of the drum, obviously additional reels may be added to increase the washing action.

The fabric web 14 is carried about the drum 22 and passes into the bite between the corrugated surface of the drum and the nipping rollers. Each nipping roller depresses the web into the corrugation to force the liquid, trapped in the fabric, out through the fabric to produce the desired washing action. Where the corrugated drum is imperforate the pressure of the fabric forced into the corrugations against the trapped water would force the water through the fabric. Where the drum is perforated in the depressions of the corrugations the liquid is forced out of the fabric and passes through into the drum. In order to provide circulation of the liquid which is forced into the drum where the drum is perforated, the drum may be open-ended or a pump may be provided to insure circulation from the center of the drum into the tank. As the drum and reels rotate the nip rollers will be brought one after another into mesh with the corrugations to produce the desired washing action. The nipping rollers 30, being rotatable in one direction only, prevent the cloth 14 from slipping and insure that it is carried about the drum as the drum rotates.

To guard against all of the nipping rollers on the several planetary reels contacting the fabric at the same spot an idler roller 38 may be provided between each pair of planetary reels. This idler roller carries the web 14 away from the surface of the drum then directs it back into the bite between the drum and the subsequent reel thus increasing the path of travel of the web by a sufficient distance that the subsequent nipping rollers contact the fabric along a line of contact different from that of a previous nipping roller. In this fashion, the entire surface of the fabric will be uniformly washed and no objectionable pattern will be formed on the cloth by the rollers. In practice, it is not necessary that there be a tight nipping action between the nipping rollers and the corrugated surface of the drum but rather the desired washing action can be obtained by the nipping rollers merely indenting the fabric into the corrugations so as to force the water entrapped out through the fabric to accomplish the washing action. The nipping action can be increased or decreased by adjusting the clearance between the nip rollers and the drum surface.

The fabric when it is passed about substantially the entire circumference of the drum 22 is carried up out of the tank about an idler roller 40, then back down into the tank under a roller 42, then upwardly out of the tank again over a roller 44 and then between a pair of nip rollers 46 which squeeze excess liquid out of the fabric. The fabric is then advanced along for further processing.

The washer disclosed is capable of operating at high speed and the increased contact between the fabric and the liquid occasioned by the nipping rollers and corrugated drum provided a very efficient and thorough washing action within a realtively small amount of space. The mechanism is relatively simple and may be fabricated at a low cost and is substantially maintenance free.

While the invention has been described with particular reference to the illustrated embodiment, numerous modifications thereto will appear to those skilled in the art. For example, in place of the nip rollers, fixed rolls, rods or bars could be spaced about the planetary reels to force the fabric into the corrugations.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim and desire to obtain by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. Apparatus for treating a running textile web, comprising:

(a) a tank adapted to contain a quantity of liquid,

(b) a drum rotatably mounted within said tank for at least partial submersion in said liquid,

(c) the outer cylindrical surface of said drum being formed with longitudinal straight corrugations defining rounded surfaces,

(d) means for guiding said web about at least a portion of said drum and against said rounded surfaces,

(e) at least one reel rotatably mounted in said tank below the surface of said liquid substantially tangential to said drum adjacent said drum adjacent said portion,

(f) said reel having evenly spaced elongated abutments coextensive with and adapted to mesh with the corrugations of said drum upon rotation of said drum and reel whereby said reel and drum will cooperate to force said liquid through the fabric passing therebetween,

(g) said abutments being dimensioned to mesh with said'corrugations without contacting the depressions thereof.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said abutments are rolls.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said rolls are mounted for rotation in one direction only.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said drum is perforated.

5. Apparatus for treating a running textile web, comprising:

(a) a tank adapted to contain a quantity of liquid,

(in) a drum rotataby mounted horiontally within said tank and substantially below the level of said liquid,

(0) the outer cylindrical surface of said drum being formed within longitudinal corrugations,

((1) means for guiding said web about at least a portion of said drum below the level of said liquid,

(e) a plurality of reels rotatably mounted in said tank below the level of said liquid substantially tangential to said drum and adjacent said portion,

(f) a plurality of rolls mounted in evenly spaced relation about each of said reels and adapted to mesh with the corrugations of said drum upon rotation of said drum and reels whereby said rolls and drum will cooperate to force the liquid through the fabric passing therebetween, and,

(g) a guiding member disposed between said reels for guiding said web away from and back to said drum.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 26,217 11/1859 Wilkins 68-101 479,488 7/ 1892 Chambers 68-99 FOREIGN PATENTS 122,929 8/ 1901 Germany.

9,582 1884 Great Britain.

WILLIAM I. PRICE, Primary Examiner 

